“I want to go more innings than that, that’s not good to go three innings with 65 pitches,” Gee said. “It’s my work for the day right now and hopefully during the season I’ll get more work out of that. ”

“Didn’t give up any runs, that’s a key. Didn’t feel that great today, whatever it was five days ago that made me feel so good wasn’t really there today,” Gee said. “Keep working on it and made big pitches when I had to today in key situations with guys on base. That was good.”

Highlights:

Vic Black continued his career long pattern of inconsistency, looking great one day and awful the next. He inherited a 3-0 lead and made it evaporate. In one inning pitched he allowed three earned runs on three hits, two walks and zero strikeouts.

Matt den Dekker picked up another two hits today and scored a run. He is now batting .420 and continues to inch his way onto the Mets Opening Day roster.

Jeurys Familia continues to pile on scoreless appearances and now has four innings pitched without a run or walk. He also threw a 100 mph fastball today. He has the best and most nastiest stuff in the Mets bullpen. Future stud right here…

Chris Young went 2-for-3 and hit his first home run as a Met. He’s now lifted his average to .290 this spring.

In last night’s game recap I mentioned that Matt den Dekker may be putting himself back into the family photo in the Mets outfield.

Don’t look now but after going 1-for-3, Matt den Dekker is batting .409 (9-for-22) in 13 games with a double, triple, three runs and five RBIs. He’s entering the picture again.

Christina De Nicola of Mets.com shared some quotes from den Dekker who talks about his solid spring and how it relates to his career pattern of struggling during his first go-around after then putting up big numbers his second time around.

“My past years, I’ve always struggled when I moved up, and then played well the next year, and I just think it’s getting comfortable in the change of surroundings,” den Dekker said. “I’ve been in big league camp before. It’s definitely a little more familiarity and knowing what the guys want and how the other guys go about their business.”

“I’m just out here trying to compete for a spot and trying to make the team and help them out as much as I can.”

At this point, I’d say den Dekker is competing with Andrew Brown for the fifth outfielder position. But if he continues on this trend, it would be difficult for the Mets to not consider him for something more. Especially if the Mets don’t hit the ground running in April.

A year ago it was him that was considered the Mets’ center fielder of the future. That took a sharp detour however, after he fractured his wrist last Spring and then Juan Lagares emerged. But fortunes can change very quickly in this game.

If you think it’s too late for teams to swing deals, think again. The Mariners are still actively scouting the Mets according to a report by ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. He states that Seattle has been religiously attending Mets games, and doubled their scouting contingent in Port St. Lucie on Monday.

It’s no secret that Seattle is shopping shortstop Nick Franklin and MLB Trade Rumors suspects they are readying a proposal for the Mets and are trying to determine a fair asking price. I agree with them. Check in often to see how the MLB odds will be impacted by whether or not the Mets and the M’s can come to an agreement.

The Mets have no shortage of young arms with high upside, but are they ready to move one or two of them to get the upgrade they need at short?

Sandy Alderson continues to say that he’s quite happy with Ruben Tejada at short and that we shouldn’t expect any changes to the roster between now and Opening Day. However, I’m praying that it’s just a bluff, and we do know that he has acknowledged interest in Franklin as recently as last month.

The 22-year old Franklin batted .225/.303/.382 with 12 home runs, 20 doubles, 42 walks, 45 RBI and a 2.3 WAR in 412 plate appearances last season. Obviously that’s quite an offensive upgrade over anything that Tejada can produce.

The experts say that Franklin won’t stick at shortstop and that his fringe to average arm and range make him better suited for second base. But can he be any worse than Tejada who is also a second baseman albeit masquerading as a shortstop for the Mets the last three seasons?

For what it’s worth, Franklin is having a great Spring for the M’s batting .333/.368/.667 with three doubles, one home run, four RBIs and a 1.035 OPS in 18 at-bats.

In the latest chapter of the Stephen Drew Chronicles, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, contends that the free agent shortstop could sit out until after the First Year Player Draft in June. He further adds that fellow free agents Ervin Santana and Kendrys Morales could also sit out as well.

Such a move could strike a blow against major league baseball in that their former teams will no longer receive any draft pick compensation according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Additionally, the new teams will not be able to tender either of the players a qualifying offer next offseason because they were not with their team for a full season. It’s a loop hole and a strategy that has already been discussed between the players and their agents.

“A road map for this strategy has been figured out,” said Scott Boras who represents both Drew and Morales.

The draft pick compensation system has drawn a lot of criticism recently, including from Drew, but changes are unlikely to be made until after the current CBA expires after the 2016 season.

Boras and the agent for Santana both believe that they can spark change when it’s time to negotiate a new CBA because neither the Royals, Red Sox or Mariners will be very happy that they each lost the picks they expected back for their free agents who simply walk away without any compensation for their former teams.

On the flip side, players may become more open to accepting qualifying offers in the future rather than risk getting into a situation like Nelson Cruz who is the first player to sign a deal for less than the amount of the qualifying offer since the new CBA kicked in two years ago.

Where the Mets are concerned, if Drew were to sit out until June, would it behoove them to continue to pursue him or simply just wait four more months when a better class of free agents becomes available? Would it be wiser to then see how Ruben Tejada continues to perform while also keeping a close eye on how some of their top shortstop prospects develop?

It’s quite an interesting scenario either way you look at it. But I wonder if this is just a false threat by Boras to try and force an immediate resolution and get a new deal for his clients within the next week or so?

Travis d’Arnaud told reporters that regardless of what rule goes into effect regarding blocking the plate, Mets personnel have instructed him today that he is to stand in fair territory and give base runners the whole plate.

The rule, which is not official yet, is to allow runners a lane to part of the plate so as to avoid contact and collisions with the catcher.

Mets bench coach Bob Geren said that he is working with all the Mets catchers about positioning and making sure they tag across the plate.

Last week, Keith Law of ESPN listed Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud among his top twenty impact prospects for 2014, but says he is “the archetypal GWH player” — Good When Healthy.

D’Arnaud can catch, throw, and hit for power, but has to stay on the field. The Mets don’t have a heavy-use backup on the 40-man, so they’re counting on d’Arnaud to catch 120 games this year, which should mean 15-20 homers and excellent defense if he can stay out of the trainers’ room.

Yesterday, Adam Rubin spoke with hitting coach Dave Hudgens about how TDA can shorten his swing and make more contact without the need for conscious mechanical adjustments.

“I think cutting down his swing just means not trying so hard,” Hudgens told Rubin. “I think when he came up last year he was trying, maybe not in his mind, but it looked like he was trying to hit every ball out of the ballpark and over swinging a little bit and probably just trying to do too much. Watching him this year, so far early in camp, his swing has been easy. He’s been staying in the middle of the field. And that will lend to less effort and less bat wrap.”

Last season with the Mets, d’Arnaud batted .202/.286/.263, with one homer, five RBIs, and 21 strikeouts in 99 at-bats.

Rubin asks Hudgens to quantify d’Arnaud’s offensive capability? Is it .270 or .280 with 20 homers?

“Who knows?” Hudgens tells Rubins. “I’m not putting any numbers on guys. He’s got a chance to be a very good offensive player. I mean, he’s got very quick hands. He’s got a good idea at the plate. I think it’s just experience and confidence and getting that playing time. I think last year when he came up he hadn’t played that much. So I think a big thing is just staying healthy.”

If the fans are looking for d’Arnaud to be the next saving grace as Mike Piazza was for the Mets, Hudgens shares with Rubin, that would be asking too much. ”Piazza, I guess, was the greatest hitting catcher who ever lived. I just want Travis to be Travis.”

D’Arnaud acknowledged that he has some work to do and can’t come up to the plate thinking longball everytime. ”That was more me trying to hit the ball 600 feet,” he said. “When I would try to do that, I would overwrap or overswing pretty much, and it would just dig me in a bigger hole.”